Figure 1.--Arab rioters and irregulars in response to the U.N. Partition Plan began attacking Jews in Jerusalem (November 30, 1947). They burned Jewish homes and shops. Some 1,000 Jews were killed. The rioting became a seige syrounding the Jews in the cuty. Here beseiged Jews in the Old City section of Jerusalem queue up outside the Grand Yeshiva to await distribution of provisions brought into the city by British Army convoy (January 19, 1948).

With the U.N. Nations General Assembly voting to approve the partition of Palestine, violence esclated. Arabs began to escalate attacks on Jews. This began most notably in Jerusalem. Arabs in Jerusalem began rioting and attacking Jews (November 30 and December 1 1947). The Palestinian irregulars cut off the roads into the city, leaving the Jews there without adequate food, water, and fuel. This was the beginning of a protracted seige. Civil order quickly desintegrated throughout the Mandate. There were many ambushes of busses and trucks. This was Arab attacks on Jews. The situation in Jerusalem developed into a full blown blockade. One particularly violent episode was the Haifa refinery riots. Palestinians massacred Jews at Gush Etzion. Jews killed Palestinians at Deir Yassin. Sorting out the who is responsible for what becomes very difficult. Arab partisans tend to mention only the Jewish attacks. Isreali partisans focus on the Arab attacks. One way of assessing an author's work is looking to what degree he or she mentions the attacks made by both sides.

Arab Riots in Jerusalem (December 1947)

Violence was not new to Jerusalem. The Grand Mufti Hajj Amin Al Husseini organized riots in Jerusalem attacking Jews in 1929 and 1933. There was further violenc during the Arab Revolt organized by the Mufti (1936-39). After the annoncement of the U.N. Partition Plan, Jerusalem again became a hot spot. Under the U.N. Partition Plan, Jerusalem was to be an international city. That may have been something the Jews cold accept, but not have been happy with. It was totlly unacceptable to the Arans. The Mufti living in Egypt and a relative, Abdel Khader Al-Husseini. were particularly focused on Jerusalem. The Mufti through the Arab High Commnd helped organize a 3-day strike to protest the Partition Plan. The protest strike began (December 2). Even before, Arabs in Jerusalem began rioting and attacking Jews (November 30 and December 1). Arabs marching toward Zion Square were stopped by the British soldiers. The Arabs instead turned towards the commercial center of the City at Mamilla and Jaffa Road, burning many Jewish buildings and shops. The protest march quickly descened into riotong and attacks on Jewish homes and shops The violence continued for 2 more days, with Jewish neighborhoods being the focus of the Arab rioters. ["Jerusalem torn ...] The Jewish Haganah paramilitary organization decided to respond with force to 'stop future attacks on Jews'.[Milstein, pp. 131 ff.] The more violent underground Irgun organization conducted armed attacks aimed against population of nearby Arab villages and a bombing campaign against Arab civilians. The Irgun placed a bomb at the Damascus Gate that killed 20 people (December 12). [Milstein, p. 51.] Meanwhile the violence continued in Jerusalem (figure 1). Jews in the city were subjeced to attacks by Arab rioters and irregulars, including ambushes, constant shelling and sniper fire. This developed into a full blockade of the Jerusalem road. The Palestinian irregulars cut off the roads into the city, leaving the Jews there without adequate food, water, and fuel. This was the beginning of a protracted seige. Jews began to starve. Arab rioters killed over a thousand Jewish civilians in Jerusalem.

Attacks Throughout Palestine

Civil order quickly desintegrated throughout the Mandate. There were many Arab ambushes of busses and trucks. These were Arab attacks on Jews. Palestinians alsp targetted kibbutzes. They attacked Gvulot, Ben-Shemen, Holon, Safed, Bat Yam and Kfar Yavetz (December 1947). Subsequent attacks hit Rishon Lezion, Yehiam, Mishmar Hayarden, Tirat Zvi, Sde Eliahu, Ein Hanatziv, Magdiel, Mitzpe Hagalil and Ma'anit (January and February 1948). A force of 400 Arabs from the village of Ishwa attacked Hartuv March 1948). A Muslim Brotherhood firce attacked Kfar Darom (April 1948).

Haifa Refinery Riots (December 30, 1947)

One particularly violent episode was the Haifa refinery riots. Arab rioters killed 39 Jews at Haifa's oil refinery (December 30, 1947).

Gush Etzion (January 16, 1948)

Palestinians massacred Jews at Gush Etzion. The Palestinians killed 35 Jews trying to reach Gush Etzion (January 16, 1948).

Rehov Ben-Yehuda (February 22, 1948)

Palestinians killed 44 Jews in a bombing on Jerusalem's Rehov Ben-Yehuda

Several Attacks (February 29, 1948)

Palestinians killed 23 Jews in attacks all across Palestine (February 29, 1948). Eight of those Jews were killed at the Hayotzek iron foundry.

Mount Scopus (April 13, 1948)

Palestinians killed 35 Jews during the Mount Scopus convoy massacre (April 13).

Kfar Etzion (May 15, 1948)

Palestinians and Arab Legion regulars killed 127 Jews at Kfar Etzion after they surrendered (May 15, 1948). There were 30 others killed defending the Etzion Bloc. When the Arabs overwealmed a Jewish area, usually the homes and shops were looted and survivors killed. Only three defenders survived at Kfar Etzion.

Riots in Arab Countries

In addition to Palestinian attacks on Jews, there were also attacks on Jews by Arab mobs in several countries. Jews were massacred and synagogues burned in Aleppo and Aden. Mobs drove thousands of Jews from their homes and businesses.

Deir Yassin

Jews killed Palestinians at Deir Yassin.

Jews Killed

Palestinian Arabs seem to have carried out wide spread attacks throughout the Yishuv in 1947-48. "Yishuv" is the Hebrew word for settlement. It became used as the term for Jewish residents in Palestine before the Israel declaration of independence. The Arab attacks were both widespread and in many cases well-planned. One assessment reports that Arabs killed 1,256 Jews between the the time that the United Nations voted to partition Palestine (November 29, 1947) and the outbreak of war after Israel declared independence (May 15, 1948). Most of the killing took place in the areas where the Arabs dominated and were assigned to the Palestinians in U.N. partition plan. The author writes, "Sixty-two Jews were murdered by Arabs in the first week after the UN partition plan was passed, and by May 15, 1948, a total of 1,256 Jews had been killed, most of them civilians. These deaths were caused by Arab militias, gangs, terrorists and army units which attacked every place of Jewish inhabitation in Palestine." [Franzman] He adds "Even before the first Arab villages were captured in April, 924 Jews had already been killed". The Arab attacks may well have contributed to the Isreali victory in the 1948-49 War. The author studying the Arab attacks on Jews maintains, "As it was,the ceaseless attacks against all isolated Jewish settlements only gave Zionist commanders every reason to see neighboring Arab villages as threatening and to act accordingly."

Scholarly Assessments

Sorting out the who is responsible for what becomes very difficult. Arab partisans tend to mention only the Jewish attacks. Isreali partisans focus on the Arab attacks. One way of assessing an author's work attempting to survey the conflict is looking to what degree he or she mentions the attacks made by both sides.

Sources

Frantzman, Seth. "Ethnic cleansing in Palestine?" Jerusalem Post (August 17, 2007). Frantzman is a doctoral student at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. He presents the data, drawn from newspaper archives.

Milstein, Uri. History of Israel's War of Independence, Vol II, English Edition: (University Press of America: 1997).

"Jerusalem torn by rioting; Arabs use kbnivs, set fires; Jews reply, Haganah in open," New York Times (December 3, 1947). This was a three column headline on the front page. Subheadings included "14 Are Slain In Day" "8 Jews Reported Killed in Palestine Clashes--Mob Loots Shops."

Created: 5:52 PM 4/5/2007
Last updated: 5:59 PM 11/4/2017